By RUSSELL BENNETT
“OUR season will be defined over the next three weeks – we’ll either be in the mix, or shown to be pretenders.”
Buln Buln player-coach Brent Eastwell last week summed up in the Gazette a brutal stretch of the fixture that had his side play each of the EDFL’s other top four sides in consecutive rounds.
“We’re under no illusions (how tough it’ll be),” he said.
“But if we make it through that stretch there’ll be a lot of self-belief in the group.”
These Lyrebirds are no pretenders.
Saturday’s result – a 35-point win over the fourth-placed Warragul Industrials, 11.18 (84) to 7.7 (49) – shows they should enter their next clash, against the unbeaten Cobras, with plenty of that self-belief Eastwell spoke about, and that there’s a very real chance that this period could be the making of the their season come September.
Three of the home side’s talls in particular – Matt Gray in the ruck, Bryce Monahan (five goals) both in the ruck and down forward, and Tim Higgins (four goals) inside forward 50 – proved instrumental.
Monahan booted four goals in the opening term as his side made the most of the most of the breeze, whereas the Dusties could only score five goals with the wind all day.
The Lyrebirds’ pressure – particularly in locking the ball in their forward half for extended periods – was a real standout, but with just a 14-point margin separating the two sides at half-time the game was well and truly up for grabs.
But in a tense third quarter, Eastwell’s men again seized their opportunity – keeping the Dusties scoreless for the term while playing convincing tempo football.
Joel Gibson’s work-rate all over the ground was once again a real positive for the Dusties, as were Shane Brewster’s long, daring kicks but the likes of Mitch Nobelius, Trent Baker, Brad Virgona, Josh O’Brien and Tyson Bale typified a Buln Buln side that showed a relentless determination. Two goals from Higgins into the wind early in the fourth – at a stage when the Dusties had to roll the dice to fight their way back into the contest – spelled the death knell for the visitors.
Click the link below to watch the Lyrebirds belt out their song, and pick up a copy of this week’s Gazette first thing Wednesday morning for Eastwell’s thoughts on his side’s win.
